BEST European Tour

[Mogan]

Have a riding buddy in Washington State that wants to join me on a European tour of some kind in 2008. Any votes for what is the very best European tour combining all elements of roads, scenery, food, wine, nightlife, etc.?

He was looking at Edelweiss' Tour-of-the-Pyrenees...

 

[gody]

Have a riding buddy in Washington State that wants to join me on a European tour of some kind in 2008. Any votes for what is the very best European tour combining all elements of roads, scenery, food, wine, nightlife, etc.?
He was looking at Edelweiss' Tour-of-the-Pyrenees...

I would suggest: French Alps - Italy/Dolomite & Alps - Slovenia (food, wine) - Croatian Adriatic coast if You like/need sea - Austria with "We wish to become the most motorcycle-friendly pass road in the Alps!" https://www.grossglockner.com/

When You are around here (Slovenia) and need something don't hesitate to contact me. Can do some riding together if You need local guide.

 

[GunMD]

Don't forget Stef in Italy (Milan??). Some time ago he put up a "standing offer" of sorts to ride w/ anyone who stopped by. (That's right Stef, I haven't forgotten...)

 

[Mike-H]

Don't forget Stef in Italy (Milan??). Some time ago he put up a "standing offer" of sorts to ride w/ anyone who stopped by. (That's right Stef, I haven't forgotten...)

Your right Stef did....after he & I had hooked up for a ride on the BRP (with other forum members) last summer (after WFO)....we talked about planning a ride through the mountains in 2008 but won't finalize plans until late this year....so feel free to pm him....

 

[beemerdons]

Hello Mogan,

Edelweiss Bike Tours runs a great trip through Europe, the Pyrenees run is especially nice. I am friends with owners Werner und Coral Wachter, as well as EBT Tour Director Markus Hellrigl and EBT Spanish Tour Director Axel Papst; I was most recently on the EBT Andalucia Tour in February of 2006.

Not to take any business away from EBT - they're really great people, but you can also do this trip yourself with your buddy. I was stationed in Augsburg, Germany in 1969 & 1970 in the US Army and I return to Europe every few years to ride a BMW around the continent. Here is an example of the trip that I am leading six of my Arizona riding friends on this Spring. SkooterG and vectervp1 will vouch for my abilities to lead motorcycle rides in foreign lands!

But if you wanted to let EBT handle the bike rentals/lodging/insurance and wanted to just concentrate on the BEST Alps passes you couldn't do any better than EBT's High Alpine Adventure! Passo di Stelvio, Timmelsjoch, Bernina, Jaufenpass, Grossglockner, Hochflache, Mendelpass; they do them all.

Regards, Don

[email protected]

OUR ALPINE AZ BEEMERS MOTORCYCLE TRIP ITINERARY

Friday, May 18: American Airlines Flight 2784 Phoenix to Chicago; 9:25 am to 2:25 pm; 7:25 pm departure of Atlantic overseas leg of the flight.

Saturday, May 19: American Airlines Flight 84 Chicago to Frankfurt arriving at 11:10 am. Take the Lufthansa Airport Shuttle to Heidelberg.

Sunday, May 20: Pick up bikes from Knopf Motorrad Reisen. Ride South to Augsburg, Germany for lunch and spend the night in Imst, Tirol, Austria.

Monday: May 21: Ride to Innsbruck and then South to Trento, Italy. Spend the night at Riva del Garda on the North Shore of Lago (Lake) Garda, Italy.

Tuesday, May 22: Ride around Lake Garda sightseeing and go for ferry ride.

Wednesday, May 23: Ride to Locarno, CH on North end of Lago Maggiore.

Thursday, May 24: Ride around lake and sightsee in Switzerland countryside

Friday, May 25: Ride North through Andermatt to the Black Forest Region (Schwarzwald) of Germany. Stay in Titisee-Neustadt and have rouladen!

Saturday, May 26: Stop in Obernai, France for lunch; return bikes to Knopf.

Sunday, May 27: Rent bicycles and ride to the wineries of the Rhine Valley.

Monday, May 28: AA #71 FRA to DFW 10:55-2:30 pm; #2891 to PHX 5:45

Resources: www.knopftours.com & www.alpineroads.com under Trip Plans.

 

[teerex51]

GunMD

You're absolutely right and I'm glad you remembered...

As a matter of fact, Mike-H and I have been discussing this 2008 Alpine tour in some detail. Our buddy VMax_03 will probably join us, too.

As compared to the tour Don described above, we're probably gonna cover more ground each day and leave Germany out, but hey, that's our tour...

The good thing about planning your own itinerary is you can customize it to fit your needs and personal expectations...

We'll be finalizing the details sometime next winter. If any of you guys are interested, do keep in touch with Mike-H or myself and we'll take it from there.

As soon as we have a ballpark period and number of riders, my associates will go out and negotiate rates that can't be refused... B)

 

[wheatonFJR]

If you guys care to answer:

What is a rough daily cost of a teerex or beemerdon mcy tour? What are the typical one-time costs?

<insert sound of brain furiously trying to figure out if budget is attainable - here>

 

[beemerdons]

"If you guys care to answer: What is a rough daily cost of a teerex or beemerdon mcy tour? What are the typical one-time costs?"

Dear WheatonFJR: If you wished to join we Arizonans on our trip this May 18-28 contact www.knopftours.com and see if Stefan has any bikes remaining for the seven days of May 20-26; we would be glad to welcome you along. I am the Director of the Arizona BMW Club and below is the planning correspondence that preceded this trip. Basically, the airfare roundtrip from Phoenix to Frankfurt was $650, BMW R11xxRT's and R1200GS's with insurance are $135 a day, we allowed $100 a day for our incidentals (fuel, road food, dinner and my evening beir und schnapps allowance [skooterG can tell you about my drinking habits - I am Irish through and through]), and $100 a night for lodging per room (we are sleeping two to a room - currently two couples and four singles; breakfast is included daily). We will be doing 500 kilometers a day! It has averaged out since I got out of the Army in 1970 that I return to Europe about every three years to ride BMW's around the Continent. This will be my 12th trip! I used to set my evening destinations around 500 kilometers apart, but now that I am older and wiser at age 58 I usually plan the nightly stops at a distance of 250 kilometers apart, but I will burn up the road for an additional 250 kilometers a day by bagging passes. As an example: It is only 250 kilometers from Imst in the Tirol to Riva on Lake Garda if one travels on the Autobahn und Autostrada through the Brenner Pass. However we will be riding 500 kilometers from sunrise to sunset bagging the following passes in this order: Fernpass, Holzleitner Sattel, Kuhtai, Haiming Joch, Timmels Joch, Jaufen Pass, Penser Joch, Gampen Joch und Mendel Pass.

Sincerely yours, Don Stanley PS: If you need more European Motorcycling information please contact me: 480-917-3863 or [email protected]

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MAY 18-28, 2007 EUROPEAN ALPS MOTORCYCLE TOUR!

Uri Schumm, Dave Cooley and Chuy Medina are organizing an Economical European Motorcycle Tour from May 18-28 of 2007. This trip will be limited to a dozen participants and five are currently confirmed for our ride through the Alps. El Burrito Ballerina is a BMW Rally Friend of Stefan and Petra Knopf of Knopf Motorradreisen based in Heidelberg, Germany. When I rode back to New England last month for the BMWMOA International in Burlington, Vermont I made contact with the Knopf’s and discussed the details for this trip. If you wanted to view the many details of Stefan's operation please go to www.knopftours.com This is a wonderful and memorable romantic trip for couples: Sylvia Schumm is going with Uri and I’m taking my Ladyfriend.

Anticipated Costs: I have plugged in an estimated total cost per individual for the trip. Here’s my guesstimate: 1) Flight - $750; 2) Lodgings - $900; 3) Per diem food, fuel and incidentals - $900; 4) Motorcycle rental and insurance - $950; Total is forecasted at $3,500. But, please do note that couples would save on the cost of the bike and on the lodgings.

Uri and I have already secured BMW R1150RT's, complete with BMW top boxes, for ourselves and Dave has reserved a R1200GS. Basically we went with our primary riding bikes here in Estados Unidos. To reserve a bike for a week next May, you send a check made out to Knopf Motorradreisen in the amount of $400 to GREG ANDERSON, C/O Stefan Knopf, 194 Carmen Hill 2, New Milford, CT 06776. The seven riding days weekly rental rate for the RT1150's was $880.

Copy of Confirmation Letter:

Dear Mr. Knopf,

This will confirm our agreement to rent the below motorcycles from you for the period May 20-26, 2007.

Don Stanley – BMW R1150 RT with saddlebags and top case. $880.00 plus insurance.

Uri & Sylvia Schumm - BMW R1150 RT with saddlebags and top case. $880.00 plus insurance.

Dave Cooley – BMW R1200 GS Adventure with saddlebags. $880.00 plus insurance.

Our travel plans are:

• Arrive in Frankfurt sometime on Saturday, May 19, 2007.

• Rental period will be May 20-26.

• Transport to airport in Frankfurt on May 28.

Today, August 30, 2006 I am putting in the mail three Checks for $400.00 each, addressed to:

GREG Anderson

C/o Stefan Knopf

194 Carmen Hill 2

New Milford, CT, 06776

USA

Best regards,

Uri Schumm

[email protected] wrote:

Hallo

Beide RT haben Topcases von BMW das ist kein Problem.

Please make the checks out to Knopf Motorradreisen and send me all infos again with the dates ,Airlineinfo, if you like to have Airport Pick up and B&B .....

GREATINGS Stefan Knopf

"I don't want a pickle, just wanna ride my motorsickle." Arlo Guthrie

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Don Stanley

Chandler, AZ

Home: 480-917-3863

Work: 602-254-1191x148

Cell: 602-722-0427

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We are up to eight riders for the Alps-Tuscany trip next May as of this morning. Bekah and Marco Borrillo, Dave Cooley, Bob Flanders, Uri and Sylvia Schumm, and Don Stanley and his Ladyfriend. Uri and I would be willing to stretch the group to a Baker's Dozen, but that means that there are only five more openings available for this great European Riding Trip.

Also, below is the latest correspondence from Uri Schumm, Republic of Wittmann, and Stefan Knopf, Stadt de Heidelberg, regarding costs for the bikes, bike insurance and our lodgings with Knopftours:

Dear Stefan,

Vielen Dank fuer die kosteninformazion. Bitte erklaeren Sie mir wovon der $210.00 unteschied zwichen ein und zwei Personen ensteht.

Beste Gruesse,

Uri

[email protected] wrote:

Hello

Here are the total for all.

Rentl 20-26 May each Bike are 880 Dollar free Miles RT with Topcase R1200 without.

Insurance full cover ( Deductable 1250 Dollar) 84 Dollar.

Tankbag and Roadassitance 50 Dollar ( Each 25 Dollar)

Deposit deductable during riding per Bike 1250 Dollar.

Please note : Bike return has to be on the May 26 till 6,00pm latest.

Payment cash or US Travellerchecks (also for the deposit 1250 Dollar witch you get back if bIke is return o.k)

No Kreditcard.

We also offer Healthinsurance for your Time in Europe see oure website. www.knopfours.com .

If you have any question please let me know.If the deposit is recived i will send email.

Cancell the trip up to 8 weeks befor we return 300 Dollar up tp 6 weeks 200 Dollar up to 4 weeks 100 Dollar less the 4 weeks non.

Greatings Stefan

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks Don for all that information. I will use that info for future planning. I am not looking for this year but possibly 2008.

Sounds like you guys are going to have a blast this year! I'm definitely jealous.

 

[teerex51]

Thanks Don for all that information. I will use that info for future planning. I am not looking for this year but possibly 2008.
Sounds like you guys are going to have a blast this year! I'm definitely jealous.

WheatonFJR,

I made a quick-and-dirty estimate and came up with costs that are very much in line with Don's. His tour is definitely competitive vs. Edelweiss's and Beach's.

What I did not factor in is the airfare, considering that the 2 friends who so far expressed an interest live as far apart as Toronto, ON and Raleigh, NC.

But you can shop for a good airfare to Milan (Italy) as well as I.

My "service provider" rents Beemers (GS and RT's) and is located about 20 miles from Milan MXP airport, so the idea is to come in a day in advance, have a night out in Milan and hit the road the next day.

The first Alpine pass in Switzerland is just 2 hours away... B) What we dubbed the "Swiss Pass Rollercoaster" is a must, as it’s right next door and will take a day and a half to run.

As for the rest of the tour, we can then head East towards Tyrol and the Dolomites or take a westerly direction and go for the French Alps. As long as I know a few weeks in advance where the group wants to go, we can build a great tour either way.

As for the Pyrenees, we rode them in June 2006 and found the roads on the French side to be in pretty dire shape :blink: , while they were well maintained and almost deserted on the Spanish side.

If we do it again, we’ll stay on the Spanish side and begin/end our tour in Barcelona. This is pretty convenient as we can reach this city by cruise-ferry from Italy and save our tires for the twisty bits...

Stef

EDIT: Here you can download our Pyrenees Tour 2006

 

[FJRottie]

European tour of some kind

I am so jealous. Anybody who has a chance to do that, must do it.

 

[beemerdons]

Hello wheatonFJR,

I am glad that I was able to help you with some information on European Motorcycle Touring. If you are going in 2008 I thought of a trip you may be interested in, I am going on it myself. I am close friends with Skip and Nancy Mascorro, the owners of Pancho Villa Moto tours here in the Western Hemisphere and operating as Moto-Discovery in the rest of the world. When I retire from my job at age 62 as a Project Manager for Metro Mechanical, Inc., I hope to work for them as an M/C tour guide on their Mexico to Panama tours. www.motodiscovery.com Skip is personally going to lead a tour from Vienna, Austria to Istanbul, Turkey in June of 2008. He has not determined the final costs and the exact dates yet, keep an eye on their website.

"Swiss Pass Rollercoaster": teerex51, just hearing that name makes me want the next 10 weeks to race by so we can start riding those fantastic Alps roads! I am wondering if you're referring to the connections around St. Moritz. The passes starting from Chiavenna over Maloja, Julier, Bernina, Forco di Livigno, Albula, Fluela, Lenzerheide and then the magnificent Splugen. That loop is indeed motorcycling Heaven! Rode it October of 2004 on a R1200GS.

Best Regards, Don

 

[teerex51]

I am wondering if you're referring to the connections around St. Moritz

Right on the money, Don! B) That's exactly the playground we have in mind. St. Moritz to/from Andermatt.

We have run the tour in different directions, but we basically hit Sustenpass, Grimselpass, Oberalp, Nufenen, Albula, Lucomagno, Furka etc.

until it's time to head for home (or a hotel, if we're up for more the next day).

This is our group before it rained on our parade at Furkapass in 2005...

Wish you and your riding buddies a great tour

Stef

 

[beemerdons]

Ciao Stef,

We are staying at the Hotel Neckar in Heidelberg on Saturday night May 19, it is the only lodging reservation that we have made; we will let the front wheel of our Beemers pick out the nights lodgings after that. But, I will post you Stef through this forum from the Internet access in the hotel lobby that afternoon and see what you might be doing in that upcoming week. If we AZ Beemers could meet up with our Italian FJR contact that would be fun!

Arrivederci, Don

 

[teerex51]

Ciao Stef,
We are staying at the Hotel Neckar in Heidelberg on Saturday night May 19, it is the only lodging reservation that we have made; we will let the front wheel of our Beemers pick out the nights lodgings after that. But, I will post you Stef through this forum from the Internet access in the hotel lobby that afternoon and see what you might be doing in that upcoming week. If we AZ Beemers could meet up with our Italian FJR contact that would be fun!

Arrivederci, Don

Roger that, Don :drinks:

Buona strada

Stef

PS: that weekend I may be leaving for Istanbul through the ex-Yugoslavia and Bulgaria with a few die-hards but it's not 100% firm yet CLICKY

 

[beemerdons]

Buon Giorno Stef,

Your Istanbul Raid looks fantastic! I am really looking forward to seeing the pictures and prose from that trip on your website from you and your friends.

As an American soldier stationed in Europe during the Cold War years I was not allowed to be within 50 kilometers of the Soviet border unless I was part of a military detachment, so I never got to go to Vienna and certainly was never allowed to go to Berlin. Even Greece was off limits to we GI's then.

Spero di guidarvi qualche giorno i motocicli con! Don

 

[teerex51]

...As an American soldier stationed in Europe during the Cold War years I was not allowed to be within 50 kilometers of the Soviet border unless I was part of a military detachment, so I never got to go to Vienna and certainly was never allowed to go to Berlin. Even Greece was off limits to we GI's then.

....

I will go OT here for a sec, but it's got to do with riding in Europe, sooooo....I'm asking for a wee bit of latitude..

Don, I remember when crossing into East Germany at Checkpoint Charlie or elsewhere was right out of a James Bond movie (the old ones... ) and you could spend hours at the Austrian-Hungarian border while they were checking your registration docs. It's great that most of the hassle's gone now but some of the thrill's gone with it. I expect our crossing from Croatia into Serbia will be a breeze and just entail a cursory paper check. Ditto for the entry into Turkey (a European Union hopeful --- yeah, right :huh: ).

What we need to watch out for are those overloaded Eastern-Bloc semis with sleep-deprived guys at the wheel. They're lethal. Not only do they tend to swerve like drunken sailors but they also shed engine and body parts and fluids over the roadway... But we'll keep an eagle eye out... 'sides, we'll stick to the posted speed limits (generally 130 km/h or 80 MPH) as the local LEOs ogranichnik: often moonlight as extortionists... :angry03:

Later :thumbsup:

Stef